The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Barclays Bank UK PLC and Barclays Bank PLC a total of £42 million for separate instances of failings in its financial crime risk management – one relating to WealthTek and one relating to Stunt & Co. Barclays Bank UK PLC will make a vol
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There has been a great deal of speculation about the Chancellor reforming ISA rules in her Mansion House Speech – although, late last week it emerged some of these may be put on hold. There are, nevertheless, good reasons to still look at the issue – not least to confront the UK’s
The UK economy experienced an unexpected contraction of 0.1% in May, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This fall in gross domestic product (GDP) occurred despite a temporary pause in US tariffs, defying economists' forecasts of 0.1% growth.
Begbies Traynor has posted a near doubling of its pre-tax profits to £11.5 million for the year ending 30 April 2025, a significant increase from the previous year's £5.8m. The AIM-listed insolvency firm saw its revenue climb by 12% to £153.7m, marking its tenth consecutive year of
Ana Stewart’s Pathways Pledge initiative has welcomed its fifth cohort, with Connect Three, the University of Edinburgh, Geovation Scotland, BGF, Mint Ventures, and Firstport signing up, totalling 32 Pledge partners to date. Pledges in the fifth cohort include hosting events to enhance diversi
Newly appointed chair Julie Ashworth has selected 12 Edinburgh individuals to form the city's first Visitor Levy Advisory Forum. Bringing experience from the third sector to academia, the hotels industry to local communities, the forum met for the first time to receive a briefing on the Edinburgh Vi
PwC is to make approximately 175 junior auditors in the UK redundant in a notable shift to compulsory job cuts within its audit division. The move, scheduled for August 2025, comes in response to challenging market conditions and a significant fall in voluntary staff departures.
Business confidence in Scotland saw a five-point decline in June, settling at 47%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland.
Scotland’s onshore GDP contracted by 0.2% in April 2025, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician, following contraction of 0.4% in March 2025 (revised from contraction of 0.2%). In the three months to April, GDP is estimated to have contracted by 0.2% compared to the previo
Investors led by venture capital and private equity firms have injected a record amount of capital into the UK’s growing circular economy sector, new research from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has revealed. British circular economy businesses attracted £2.2 billion in discl
Nearly three-quarters of Scottish manufacturing businesses expect to grow between 3-10% in the next year, according to a new report released by MHA. Despite citing cyber security, tax increases, skills shortages, energy costs and regulation as their biggest challenges, the vast majority surveyed for
Aberdeen-headquartered digital twin technology specialist, Eserv, has announced its strategic expansion into the United States. The move furthers the company’s mission to empower asset owners and operators internationally with remote, reality-based decision-making software solutions, specifica
A TikTok content creator who offers cryptocurrency trading advice was reportedly kidnapped in northern France and held for a €50,000 ransom, only to be released when his abductors discovered he did not have the funds.
In recent years, we’ve seen a marked shift in how small and medium-sized enterprises in Scotland approach funding. While debt finance will always have its place, equity deals have become an increasingly attractive option for many business owners and leadership teams, writes Mark Davey. This sh
Insolvency-related activity in Scotland hit a 29-month high in May 2025, according to new research from R3. The insolvency and restructuring trade body's analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows there were 141 cases of insolvency-related activity in Scotland in May – the highest number on
